The sanitary regulations of the camp of the Israel- ites were enacted for the twofold purpose of jjrescrving the health of the vast multitude, and the purity (if the camp as the dwelling-place of God (Num. v, 3; Deut. XX iii, 14). AVith this object the dead were buried without the camp (Lev. x, 4, 5); lepers were excluded till their leprosy departed from them (Lev. xiii, 46 ; xiv, 3 ; Num. xii, 14, 15), as were all who were visited with loathsome diseases (Lev. xiv, 3). All who were defiled by contact with the dead, whether these were slain in battle or not, were kept without the camp for seven days (Num. xxxi, 19). Captives taken in war were compelled to remain for a while outside (Num. xxxi, 19 ; Josh, vi, 23). The ashes from the sacrifices were poured out without the camp at an appointed place, whither all uncleanness was removed (Deut. xxiii, 10, 12), and where the entrails, skins, horns, etc., and all that was not offered in sacrifice, were burnt (Lev. iv, 11, 12; vi, 11 : viii, 17).
The execution of criminals took place without the camp (Lev. xxiv, 14 ; Num. xv, 35, 36; Josh, vii, 2-4), as did the burning of the 3'oung bullock for the sin- offering (Lev. iv, 12). These circumstances combined explain Heb. xiii, 12, and John xix, 17, 20.
2. The encampment of the Israelites in the desert left its traces in their subsequent history. The tem- ple, so late as the time of Hezekiah, was still "the camp of Jehovah'" (2 Chron. xxxi, 2; ccmp. Psalm Ixxviii, 28); and the multitudes who flocked to David were " a great camp, like the camp of God" (1 Chron. xii. 22).
High ground appears to have been uniformly select- ed for tlie position of a camp, whether it were on a hill or mountain side, or in an inaccessible pass (Judg. vii, 18). So, in Judg. x, 17, the Ammonites encamped in Gilead, while Israel pitched in Mizpeh. The very names are significant. The camps of Saul and the Piiilistines were alternateh' in Gil eah, the "height" of Benjamin, and the pass of Michmash (1 Sam. xiii, 2, 3, IC, 23). When Goliath defied the host of Israel, the contending aimies were encamped on hills on ei- ther side of the valley of Elah (1 Sam. xvii, 3) : aiul in the fatal battle of Gilboa Saul's position on the mcun- tain was stormed by the Piiilistines who had jiitched in Shunem (1 Sam. xxviii, 4), on the ether side of the valley of Jezreel. The carelessness of the Midianites in encamping in the plain exposed them to the night surprise b}' Gideon, and resulted in their consequent discomfiture (Judg. vi, 33; vii, 8, 12). But another important consideration in fixing upon a position for a camp was the propinquity of water ; hence it is found that in most instances camps were pitched near a spring or well (Judg. vii, 3 ; 1 Mace, ix, 38). The Is- raelites at Mount Gillioa pitched by the fountain in Jezreel (1 Sam. xxix, 1), while the Piiilistines encamp- ed at Aphek, the name of which indicates the existence of a stream of water in the neighborhood, which ren- dered it a favorite ]dace of encampment (1 Sam. iv, 1 ; 1 Kings XX, 26; 2 Kings xiii, 17). In his jiursuit of the Amalekites David halted liis men by the brook Besor, and there left a detachment with the camp fur- niture (1 Sam. xxx, 9). One of Joshua's decisive en- gagements with the nations of Canaan was fought at the waters of Meroin, where he surprised the confeder- ate camp (Josh, xi, 5, 7 ; comp. Judg. v, 19, 21). Gide-
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on, before attacking the Midianites, encampetl beside the well of Harod (Judi,'. vii, 1), and it was to draw water from the well at Bethlehem that David's three mighty men cut their way through the host of the Philistines ("2 Sam. xxiii, IG).
The camp was surrounded by the nbsi'^, magalah' (1 Sam. xvii, 20), or ^?:^'"2, magal' (1 Sam. xxvi, 5, 7), which some, and Thenius among them, explain as an earthwork thrown up round the encampment, others as the barrier formed by the baggage-wagons. The et}'- mology of the word points merely to the circvilar shape of the inclosure formed I)}' the tents of the soldiers pitched around their chief, whose spear marked his resting-place (1 Sam. xxvi, 5, 7 ;. see Thomson, Land and Book, ii, 20 sq.), and it might with propriety be used in either of the above senses, according as the camp was fixed or temjiorary. V>'e know that, in the case of a siege, the attacking army, if possible, sur- rounded the place attacked (1 llacc. xiii, 43), and drew about it a line of circumvallation {"p"^ ,dayek' , 2 Kings XXV, 1), which was marked by a breastwork of eai'tli (n'SO'O, mesillah\ Isa. Ixii, 10: n^^b, sofe/rt/*', Ezek. xxi, 27 [22] ; comp. Job xix, 12), for the double pur- pose of preventing the escape of the besieged and of protecting the besiegers from their sallies. But there was not so much need of a formal inti'enchment, as but few instances occur in which engagements were . fought in the camps themselves, and these only when the attack was made at night. Gideon's expedition against the Midianites took place in the early morning (Judg. vii, 19), the time selected I13' Saul for his attack upon Nahash (1 Sam. xi, 11), and by David for sur- prising the Amalekites (1 Sam. xxx, 17 ; comp. Judg. ix, 33). To guard against these night attacks, senti- nels (2"^"i"CTJ, shomeriin') were posted (Judg. vii, 20; 1 Mace, xii, 27) round the camp, and the neglect of this precaution bj' Zebah and Zahnunna probably led to their capture bj' Gideon and the ultimate defeat of their army (Judg. vii, 19).